LED vs. LCD: Unveiling the Battle of Commercial Displays and Choosing the Right Solution

With the advent of the era of commercial displays, LCD and LED screens have become an increasingly popular choice for many advertising businesses, as they allow for repeated editing of visuals to display advertisements and more. As of 2019, in Guangdong, a southern province of China, the entire subway line is equipped with over 24,000 lcd screens. Moreover, as we casually step into a large shopping mall, we can easily spot a variety of display screens. This is not limited to indoor spaces; outdoors, we can also witness a wide range of display screens, especially during events. For instance, during the countdown to the Qatar World Cup, LED hourglasses left a lasting expression on everyone who saw it; and in live concert stages, LED giant screens are also a common sight make sure each audience can see their idol easily.

Then for whom knows little about led or lcd, how can them to choose a right solution? Led or lcd, which one is better?

To illustrate this question, first, we should get to know what is led and lcd, also their display principle. 

Led stands for Light-Emitting Diode, also known as the fourth-generation lighting source or green light source, is a solid-state semiconductor material that can directly convert electrical energy into visible light.

LCD, short for Liquid Crystal Display, is a display technology that relies on the unique properties of liquid crystals to create visual representations. Unlike LED, which directly emits light, LCDs use a backlight system to illuminate the liquid crystal display panel.

According to this different display principle, LED and LCD displays exhibit a multitude of contrasting features.

Picture Quality: LED displays have a significant advantage over LCDs when it comes to picture quality. Due to the ability to individually control the brightness of each LED lamp, LED displays offer higher contrast ratios which means they can display a wider range of brightness levels, from deep blacks to bright whites. Also, the precise control over each LED’s color output in LED technology enables more accurate color rendering. Whether it’s the warm tones of a golden sunrise or the cool blues of a clear sky, LED displays can portray these colors with exceptional accuracy and vibrancy.

Brightness: The most crucial issue for the DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) market is that LED displays can achieve high brightness levels compared to LCD screens. While achieving a brightness of 1000 nits is considered high for an LCD screen, LED displays can reach an impressive 10,000 nits without incurring substantial additional costs.

Energy efficiency: The power consumption for the LED and the LCD is about 1:10. LED technology utilizes light-emitting diodes that consume less power compared to the fluorescent lamps used in LCD backlights. First, LED displays contribute to lower electricity bills. By consuming less power, LED displays are more cost-effective in the long run, especially for installations that require continuous operation. Second, the energy efficiency of LED displays has a positive impact on the environment. Reduced power consumption translates into lower carbon emissions and a smaller ecological footprint.

Production mode: For LED displays, the individual LED modules are manufactured first. These modules are then assembled onto cabinets, along with the power supply, receiving card, and sending card, to complete the entire panel. This process is different from LCD screens, where the entire screen is produced as a single unit in a dedicated production line. The size of LCD screens is predetermined due to the significant cost involved in setting up a complete production line. As a result, LCD screens cannot be easily customized like LED displays.

Another issue arises when it comes to installation and transportation. Installing a large screen on a higher floor is more convenient with LED displays, as they can be easily transported using elevators. On the other hand, LCD screens face significant challenges in this regard. Screens larger than 85 inches encounter difficulties fitting into elevators in typical residential areas. Additionally, the fragile nature of LCD screens, particularly their delicate liquid crystal panels, significantly increases the transportation process’s complexity.

To explore more possibilities of the outdoor advertising, the LED has been created to more unique and creative ways such as the led flexible module which can be designed to various shapes. The LED spherical displays, curved displays, ribbon displays and even the Möbius ring LED display… The LED create more stunning things for the advertising.  

Then you might ask, what’s the advantage of the lcd?

We probably use items containing an LCD (liquid crystal display) every day. They are all around us — in laptop computers, digital clocks and watches, microwave ovens, CD players and many other electronic devices. LCD displays are primarily designed for indoor use and are well-suited for applications where high brightness is not a crucial requirement. This is particularly evident in our phones and laptops.

In contrast to LCD displays, LED displays are witnessing a trend towards increased innovation and are primarily designed for outdoor use.

Overall, the demand for commercial displays will boost the development and growth of both the LED and LCD industries. Technology never fails to amaze people.